36

76

41.0

40.6

40.5

.353

.335

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The difference between yesterday and the day before was that when two players collided at the pre-game deli table reaching for the provolone and a third did a leaping swan dive over the table into the janitor’s closet to avoid the collision there wasn’t a television camera in sight.

2

47

63

48.9

47.0

47.3

.432

.452

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Life can be hard sometimes. Unpredictability comes from out of nowhere and slaps you in the face. That’s where the Royals come in. They’re the predictable face slap. And sometimes that makes all the difference.

3

43

66

44.9

42.6

43.1

.398

.379

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Josh Vitters is a player with a few flaws in his game, but since he plays for the Cubs he'll fit right in.

4

51

60

46.1

48.1

48.9

.437

.418

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Giancarlo Stanton used to be Mike. He can change his name to Judge Wapner Stanton if he keeps going 4-for-5 with two homers.

5

49

62

48.6

50.4

50.5

.447

.467

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

By striking out three, walking one, and giving up six runs (four earned), Brian Duensing had the Twinsiest performance of the season.

6

49

64

50.4

51.0

49.3

.442

.422

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

With a 3.05 ERA at home and a 4.45 ERA on the road, Clayton Richard might seem like a product of Petco Park, but he's not. He's from Indiana.

7

50

61

51.5

54.2

54.0

.472

.452

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.2%

Phillies pitching walked nine Braves hitters yet only three of them scored. This was the high point of Phillies pitching yesterday.

8

40

69

43.8

42.4

42.9

.388

.369

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Eric Young led off with an inside-the-park homer, or pretty much the very best start ever. So of course the Rockies lost.

9

51

62

55.0

52.2

53.1

.467

.487

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

-0.1%

0.1%

The Mariners are tied with Colorado and Miami for the most intentional walks issued. The problem is the competition is composed of National Leaguers. Someone has to be first, but maybe it’s time to stop handing out the free bases.

10

51

59

54.3

54.8

53.5

.485

.465

0.0%

0.2%

0.2%

0.1%

-0.2%

Isn’t there some irony in the fact that Ryan Braun is a legitimate MVP candidate who is getting almost no press for it? The man couldn't get away from the press, now he's doing his job better than almost anyone and there's nobody there to catalogue it.

11

51

60

45.6

50.5

50.8

.445

.465

0.0%

0.2%

0.2%

0.0%

-2.1%

Justin Masterson has been dominant in half his starts and garbage in the other half. Probably what you’d expect from a 6-foot-6-inch, 250-pound guy with a 4.68 ERA.

12

53

58

53.4

56.1

57.2

.495

.475

0.1%

0.4%

0.5%

-0.7%

-1.7%

Chris Young, Frank Francisco, Ramon Ramirez. There was a time when all of them were good players. But now they're not. Now they're Mets.

13

53

57

55.5

53.9

54.4

.493

.513

0.0%

0.8%

0.8%

-0.2%

-1.0%

We're not doctors, you and I, but we do play one in our minds and anyone who saw Jose Bautista get hurt knew that wasn't a short-term injury. Anthony Gose isn't Jose Bautista. Maybe you and I could clone and then surgically implant one Anthony Gose into the other, but A) it might not work and B) we’re not doctors so it definitely wouldn’t work.

14

55

57

59.2

60.9

61.5

.528

.548

0.9%

7.8%

8.7%

-2.3%

-11.9%

With no. 1 pitcher Jon Lester on the mound, the Red Sox are 8-15. With no. 2 pitcher Josh Beckett throwing the Red Sox are 7-12. For those without an abacus handy, that’s a 15-27 record for Boston with their “best” two pitchers on the mound.

15

60

51

50.5

48.4

49.9

.470

.490

1.2%

9.9%

11.1%

2.2%

7.3%

In addition to calling up Manny Machado from Double-A, the Orioles have also called up Mike Trout from Quintuple-A. Hey, it's worth a shot, right?

16

56

55

60.1

60.5

59.6

.532

.512

13.6%

3.2%

16.8%

-5.6%

-15.2%

Stephen Drew's Diamondbacks tenure may be up at the end of the year, but on the plus side, how hard will it be to find a shortstop who hits .226/.320/.358?

17

60

51

59.1

55.9

56.7

.522

.542

0.9%

22.5%

23.4%

-0.7%

2.5%

Back in the Moneyball days, the A's used to lead the league in walks. Now they lead the league in strikeouts. And yet they’re on the cusp of a playoff appearance. Billy Beane works in mysterious ways.

18

60

52

57.5

55.3

54.9

.508

.488

23.4%

4.5%

27.9%

2.8%

-5.5%

The Dodgers have grounded into more double plays (102) than any team in the National League. This is the kind of efficiency you just didn't see during the Frank McCourt days.

19

58

52

57.7

56.3

57.5

.521

.541

3.3%

27.8%

31.1%

8.8%

2.9%

"You guys totally won't believe it, but there's this young pitcher on the Rays who is, like, totally awesome. For serious!" – Anyone anytime over the past five seasons

20

60

51

65.8

66.3

64.0

.577

.557

11.5%

42.5%

54.0%

-11.1%

-9.2%

There has been much talk that the Cardinals are a far better team than their record says they are. Others say you are what your record says. Losing 15-0 will help bring those two camps together and for that we need to thank the Cardinals.

21

63

47

59.0

57.8

56.1

.536

.516

16.7%

44.2%

60.9%

5.6%

6.0%

With two months left in the season, Pirates fans are like a guy playing Powerball as the numbers are being announced. The first three numbers on the ticket are correct, and the guy’s going nuts, but there are still two numbers to go.

22

61

50

58.8

58.4

57.6

.531

.511

63.0%

4.3%

67.3%

5.2%

18.6%

After a 3-for-6 day, Marco Scutaro is hitting .347/.389/.490 for the Giants. The Giants clubhouse must be what Vasco de Gama was searching for all those centuries ago.

23

59

53

60.8

62.6

63.5

.549

.569

8.9%

60.4%

69.3%

-3.7%

-14.4%

With 123 homers, the third most in baseball, the Angels are working to change your perception about who they are as a baseball BUUUUNT! Sorry, force of habit.

24

60

50

61.5

59.4

59.6

.547

.566

53.9%

24.7%

78.6%

-5.5%

-9.1%

Three more strikeouts for Adam Dunn brings him to 163 on the year with 42 games left. He's never reached 200 before in his career. The White Sox should sell t-shirts that say "Believe!" on them.

25

60

51

58.2

59.8

60.8

.538

.558

46.1%

32.7%

78.8%

0.6%

22.9%

Jim Leyland used his relievers in this order: Sanchez, Below, Downs, Coke. I've just broken one of those old World War II codes, haven't I?

26

64

47

63.0

61.3

61.3

.562

.542

25.8%

56.4%

82.2%

4.1%

3.8%

Tim Hudson gave up six runs and three walks in 4 1/3 innings, but went 1-for-2 with a double. Perhaps the largest problem with Hudson's lousy pitching was that it removed his bat from the lineup.

27

66

45

63.0

59.4

58.8

.557

.537

71.8%

20.6%

92.4%

-1.5%

-3.0%

This is your daily reminder that Miguel Cairo is still a professional baseball player. In fact, he started for the Reds Wednesday. At first base.

28

68

43

65.2

66.2

64.5

.594

.575

74.1%

23.7%

97.8%

1.1%

6.6%

There is a segment of Nationals fans that wants Teddy to win the between inning presidential race. These people, Teddyists they’re called, meet in secret in dank basements and burned out shelters on the outskirts of town hoping Teddy will one day see victory. Why would they devote themselves to this cause? Because they are patriots.

29

64

46

64.3

64.2

64.8

.585

.604

94.6%

4.0%

98.6%

1.2%

1.9%

Six hitters in yesterday's Yankees batting order made the All-Star game for another team before coming to New York. Call them what you want but you can't accuse the Yankees of being stupid.

30

65

45

63.0

66.8

66.2

.593

.612

90.2%

9.1%

99.3%

-0.3%

0.9%

Announcers: "The pitch to Hamilton... Crushed! Wow! That one's up and up and I don't know where it'll land!" NASA HQ: Four seconds to Curiosity Rover visual connection... Three... two... one... Established! Wait... is that a…?"